


better than ice cream

by glitch_writes



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: F/M, First Meetings, Fluff and Humor, second years are third years
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 03:33:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17072723
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/glitch_writes/pseuds/glitch_writes
Summary: “Um, I can pay for you.”Nametsu spun around so quickly to face her savior, she almost lost balance.There he was, her modern-day knight in shining armor. Black hair, about half a foot taller than her, sleepy looking eyes - which shot open wide when he caught sight of her face, giving him that “deer in headlights” look. He looked familiar, too, though she couldn't put her finger on how; maybe she was getting too used to the frightened animal look from Sakunami.Most importantly: he had money.After a bad day, an attractive and vaguely familiar stranger offers to pay for Nametsu's ice cream. As it turns out, he might be more interesting than the treat he paid for.





	better than ice cream

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Stylin_Breeze](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stylin_Breeze/gifts).



It was agony. Agony sharpened by despair into a blade, digging deep into her heart. Fate was cruel, so cruel, to steal her hope, to taunt her with it, trapping it away behind glass for her to watch but never grasp.

“It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” Nametsu whispered, reaching out in vain. 

The strawberry ice cream said nothing back. 

Probably for the better - if ice cream could talk, she’d feel terribly guilty eating it. Maybe, she’d consider not eating it at all. Emphasis on ‘maybe’.

“Please don’t touch the glass, ma’am,” the ice cream shop employee replied with well-rehearsed resignation. “Can you pay or not?”

She pat her pockets a final time. Nothing. Well, nothing except for the brand-new hole. Did that count as something other than nothing, though? That was a philosophical debate with herself for another day, preferably with ice cream involved. “No,” she sighed. “No, I can’t pay.” 

“Um, I can pay for you.” 

Nametsu spun around so quickly to face her savior, she almost lost balance. 

There he was, her modern-day knight in shining armor. Black hair, about half a foot taller than her, sleepy looking eyes - which shot open wide when he caught sight of her face, giving him that “deer in headlights” look. He looked familiar, too, though she couldn't put her finger on how; maybe she was getting too used to the frightened animal look from Sakunami. 

Most importantly: he had money.

“Strawberry,  _ please!” _

When all was said and done - more specifically, quietly ordered and paid for - they sat at a table by the window.

Though judging by his raised eyebrows threatening to reach his hairline, he hadn't been expecting her to follow. “Um, you don't have to sit with me just because I paid…”

“But you’d look so lonely sitting at this table by yourself,” she replied as she pulled out the chair opposite of him. “Unless that’s what you want, I can leave-”

“No, no, it’s fine.” He gestured to the chair with a nod, a hint of pink dusting his cheeks. “I appreciate the company.”  

Nametsu took a quick lick of her ice cream cone - sweet, sweet strawberry, finally in her grasp. “So, hero, what's your name?” 

“Hero?” he huffed in amusement, his eyebrows easing back to where they probably belonged on his face. 

“Yup, you’re a hero! I was having one of those days, and this was all I was looking forward to.” She licked up the tiny piece threatening to fall off the cone. “So, do you have a name? Or is that top-secret information?” 

He gave that quiet, sort-of laugh again as he leaned back in his chair. “It’s Ennoshita Chikara. What’s yours? Or is that classified?”

“It’s normally classified, but I’ll make an exception for you. I’m Nametsu Mai.” 

“It’s nice to meet you, Nametsu-san.” Ennoshita dipped his spoon into his matcha ice cream, and Nametsu looked on with jealousy - if only she had the foresight to get a bowl instead of fighting against time to eat her ice cream before she wore it. 

“So, that’s why you were so eager,” he continued with an airy wonder, as if he was thinking out loud. His voice had a floatiness to it. Soothing. It was tempting to ask if he’d ever recorded any ASMR stuff. “Most people would hesitate if a stranger offered to pay- Not that I mind, I was just surprised. I thought I’d have to argue a refusal.” 

“Oh, don’t worry,” she replied between licks. “I’m sure I’ll stay up all night being embarrassed about how rude I was. I’m just waiting until after the ice cream to regret it.” 

“Please don’t,” he laughed lightly. “If anything, I’m the one that should be embarrassed. I…” He hesitated, eyes flickering away from her and to the window. “I recognize you. I think. ...Which I should probably have mentioned earlier,” he remarked with a slight cringe. “If that makes you uncomfortable, I understand-” 

“I thought you looked familiar, too! But I wasn’t sure where from. I thought maybe it was cause you looked scared- which sounds wrong when I say it out loud,” she added with her own cringe to mirror his. 

“The implications are a bit unsettling,” he laughed lightly again. “Please ignore me if this is invasive, but... are you the manager for Datekou volleyball club?”

Nametsu stopped short before biting the cone. The picture was becoming the least bit clearer; still plenty fuzzy, but the mention was enough to paint a vague outline. He was definitely from some other team, she remembered, though she couldn’t put her finger on which, or what position. Not to mention those nice shoulders and forearms should have given it away, too, she considered. “You have a good memory.” 

“Uh, it’s more… I’m usually on the bench. More watching than playing against other teams.” The slightest blush crept to his cheek again. “And, um. You’re pretty memorable.” 

Her heart did a little pitter-patter. There she was, with messy hair and baggy track pants, and a hot guy was blushing and calling her ‘memorable’. Which she was pretty sure was a compliment. 

He continued quickly, “I’m from Karasuno, by the way. Wing spiker. I was number six.”

“Oh, oh! I remember you now!” She crumpled up the last bit of her cone in a mess of napkins, her attention veering completely to the conversation; Ennoshita Chikara was slightly more interesting than ice cream. Just slightly, of course. “I remember you from the practice matches before you went to Nationals. Coach and I were talking about how it was a shame you weren’t a starter. You were solidly balanced on both receiving and spiking. We think you were the one coming up with plans on the sets you played, too.”

“Ah, that’s…” The blush bloomed harder across his cheeks. He blushed too easily - definitely a plus. “Thank you. I’m a starting player this year. And, um. Captain.” 

“Captain? Captain Ennoshita, huh?” Nametsu leaned forward on her elbows, grinning. “A solid player,  _ and _ you can make game plans on the spot? Sounds like you’ll be a worthy opponent. We might even need to worry about you guys.” 

He flashed her a smug curl of his lips, and it made her heart do that pitter-patter thing again. “Thank you. It’s a shame we’ll have to beat Datekou at Interhigh - again.” 

“Oh ho, is that a threat?” She swung her foot under the table, not hard, just enough to kick at Ennoshita’s shoe. “You wanna bet on it?” 

“Sure,” he replied, his smirk never faltering. “What’s your wager?” 

“Hmm, how about… when we win, you take me out for more ice cream.” 

His smile grew. “Then for my wager… When we win, I get to take you out for ice cream.” 

Ennoshita Chikara was definitely more interesting than ice cream. 

“You’re on!” 


End file.
